Between the Hammer and the Anvil: Senior Teachers? Perceptions during Times of Change in Bahrain

Abstract

Since 2005, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been undergoing radical educational reforms touching upon systems, educational quality assurance, school improvements, teacher preparation and training, teaching and learning, and vocational education. The present paper focuses on the perceptions of senior teachers (STs)—termed heads of departments in other countries—from the first two schools involved in reforming the secondary educational system in Bahrain in 2005. This paper covers an area in which empirical evidence is lacking and reflects the STs’ perceptions and views concerning times of change in Bahrain. STs are vital change agents in any educational reform and are expected to play a crucial role because of the knowledge and experience they possess. This study aims to answer the following research questions: What is the level of understanding of STs concerning how government reforms were introduced to their schools? What are the implications of such knowledge regarding their roles during reforms? A qualitative case study was adopted, and data were collected through field analysis, informal and formal interviews, and a focus group where participants were purposively identified. The consistency in the STs’ responses forms the basis for the need to re-evaluate their role during change periods. The findings suggest that perceiving the STs’ roles as rational and predictable proved to be incorrect in that the evidence showed variance between what was supposed to occur and what happened in reality. Adherence to Ministry of Education orders was seriously affected by STs’ professional judgements and priorities. The evidence suggests that externally imposed change is problematic, and uncertainty is unavoidable.